Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-08-20
CHAPTER XXXTII.

VENGEANCE.
For three or four minutes more they whis-
pered together, after which the Hottentot
rose to go and find out how things were
among the Beers below and see when Frank
Muller retired to his tent. As soon as he had
marked him down he was to come back and
report to jess. and then the final steps were
TO be decided on.
When he was gone jess gave sigh of re-
lief This stirring up of Jantje TO the boiling
point of vengeance had been a dreadful thing
to nerve herself to do. but now at any rate it
was done and the deed settled upon. But
what the end of it would be none could say.
She would practically be a murderess, and
she felt sooner or later her guilt would find her
out, and then she would have little mercy TO
hope for. Still she had no scruples, for after
all Frank Muller's would be well merited
DOOM But when all was said and done it
was dreadful thing to be forced to steep her
hands in blood, even for Bessie's sake If
Muller were slain Bessie would marry John,
provided John escaped from the Beers,
and be happy: but what would be-
come of her. Robbed of her love, and
with this crime upon her mind, what
could she do, even if she escaped
except die. 1t would be better to die and
never see him again. for her sorrow and her
shame were more than she could bear. And
then she began to think of John till all her
poor, bruised heart seemed to go out toward
him Bessie could never love him as she did
she felt sure of that and yet Bessie was to have
him by her all her life, and she-she was to
go away Well it was the only thing to do
She would see this deed done aud set her sister
free, and then if she happened to escape she
would go-gO right away, where she would
never be heard of again. Then at any rate
she would have behaved like an honorable
woman She sat up and put her hands TO
her face 1t was burning hot, though she
was wet through, and chilled to the bone
with the raw damp of the night. A fierce
fever of mind and body had taken hold of
her, worn out as she was with emotion,
hunger and protracted exposure. But her
brain was clear enough; she never remem-
bered its being so clear before. Every
| thought that came into her mind seemed to
present itself with startling vividness, stand
ing out by itself against black background
| of nothingness, not softened and shaded down
| one into another as thoughts generally are.
| She seemed to see herself wandering away
| alone, utterly alone, alone forever while Ill
| the far distance John stood holding Bessie by
| the hand and gazing after her regrettully
| Well she would write to him, since it must
| be so. and bid him one word of farewell She
| could not go without it. She had pencil,
| and in the breast of her dress was the Boer
pass, the back of which, stained as it was with
water, would serve the purpose OF paper.
| She drew it out and, bending forward toward
the light, placed it on her knees.
"Good by" she wrote, good byl We can
| never meet again, and it is better that we
never should, in this world Whether there
| is another do not know If there is, shall
wait for you there If not, then good by for
ever. Think of me sometimes. for / have
loved you very dearly, and as nobody viii
ever love you again; and while live in thi:
or any other world, and am myself, / shall
always love you and you only. Don't forge
me- l never shall be really dead to you unit
| lam forpotten j."
She lifted the paper off her knee and ther
put it back again and began to scribble il
verse, quickly and almost without correction
It was habit of hers, though she nevel
showed what she wrote, and now it assertet
itself irresistibly and half unconsciously:
When hands that clasp thine own in seeming
| truth,
Or linger in caress upon thy head
Have rrdely broke the idols of thy youth
And cast them down amid thy treasured dead.
Remember me-
When she had got thus far she stopped, dis
satisfied, and, running her pencil through tn
lines, began afresh:
"If should die tonight
Then would'st thou look upon my quiet face,
Before they laid me in my resting place,
And deem that death had made it almost fair